Burros and Beans: Man, beans, keep asses warm during winter

Dirk Hood looks through his wagon which is hooked up to his donkey, Summer, on Tuesday. Hood and his four burros arrived from Taos for the winter and are selling several varieties of fresh beans from Colorado for $2 per pound.(Press Staff Photo by C.P. Thompson)

Dirk Hood and his four companions — Jennifer Lopez, Summer, Winter and Number 13 — arrived in Silver City two and half weeks ago. However, his companions are much hairier and heavier than him — they are his donkeys.

“I wanted to be in a place where I can use my donkeys for the winter,” Hood said. “I wanted to keep them warm.”

Hood traveled from Taos with his U-Haul, which was hooked to a horse trailer to carry his burros. His inspiration for having burros came about when he visited Oaxaca, Mexico.

“I went to Mexico for three months in 1973,” he said. “I started to study burros and got to see how much people use them. It was really interesting.”

That was also his first time in Silver City, and he returned in 1976.

“I wanted to see the Gila and the Cliff Dwellings, and I fell in love with it. It was my introduction to New Mexico.”

Hood was born in St. Louis, Mo., and graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in archaeology. He worked for the Forest Service and Park Service for a time and did contract work as an archaeologist and on pipelines in Alaska, along with a bunch of other jobs.

But something drew him back to Silver City.

“Silver is fascinating. It’s crazy how one time it was boomtown. It was a big town once, then a small town, now back to big again.

“It had more Spanish influences than it does. There has been more of an influx of outsiders like me or people from other states,” he said. “I get to meet rich people, low-income people and Native Americans. The donkey attracts everybody. Donkeys are like an icebreaker.”

Traveling by donkey is much slower than traveling by car, but Hood doesn’t mind the slow speed.

“Burros help me slow down to a natural speed, instead of automobile speed,” he said. “Two or three miles per hour — walking speed. I like how it slows me down to natural pace. It’s good for me, and the burros help me with that.”

Hood also said that riding donkeys causes less harm to animals than driving a car.

“Vehicles aren’t good for animals — including us,” he said. “You hit butterflies, pets, deer and all sorts of animals. They can’t get out of the way quick enough. I haven’t always been like that. But it’s too fast for me. I see butterflies going back and forth, and they don’t get hit. I feel like animals need our attention.”

When he needs to move at a faster pace, he uses a bicycle.

Downtown on Bullard Street, folks stop to pet Hood’s donkeys and take a photo.

“People are really happy to see the burros and are great with them,” he said. “It brings a smile to their face. [Burros were] a real tradition where at one time this was happening everywhere, especially in New Mexico. Everybody has treated me good. I don’t have any complaints. People are great here.”

His son, Jeb, named J.Lo, Summer and Winter, while Hood named Number 13.

“J.Lo is a brat,” Hood said. “She figured out how not to work. Winter is the biggest donkey and is a good worker. So is Summer. Number 13 is an old guy and he is really calm and friendly with everyone.

“They like to get out and see people,” he said. “When we walked the 250-mile trip, every pig, goat and cow followed along with us.”

“I was in bean country. I’ve been selling beans for 16 years. Depending on the season and how fresh they are, I can make more. And I always have something to eat. I like how I am selling something that is real. Beans are good for people. People come from Mexico to buy my beans.”

If you happen to be downtown and are in the market for some beans, look for the donkey and the wagon, and the man with the beans.

Hood’s beans are also available at Wild West Weaving on Texas Street downtown.